Activities You Can Do With Your Special Needs Child Over The Summer Holidays

Baking – If you are looking for something to do with your child over the summer holidays, then baking is a fantastic activity. Your child could help you make cookies in the shape of their favourite animal, character, or object or their favourite flavour cupcakes. Let them experiment: Let your child be creative and experiment with different ingredients and flavours. They might come up with a new recipe that they can add to your family's repertoire!

Use fun tools: Get a kid-sized baking set or use measuring cups and spoons in the shape of animals. Anything that makes the activity more fun for your child will help keep them engaged while baking. Make it a contest: See who can make the best-looking or best-tasting cookies or cupcakes. This will add some competition and excitement to the baking process. Now that you know how to make baking fun for your child, get in the kitchen and start cooking! Your child is sure to have a good time while they improve their skills.

Benefits of baking for children with special needs:

Improves fine motor skills: As your child uses their hands to mix ingredients, scoop batter into pans, or decorate cookies, they are working their fine motor skills.

Gets your child to explore textures: Baking lets children experiment with different food textures in a safe environment. They can see and feel the difference between wet and dry ingredients and how they interact with each other.

Builds maths skills: They will understand how to measure (a cup or a tablespoon). They will also have to learn how much of each ingredient they need, which is an excellent way to practice their maths skills.

Teaches responsibility: Baking teaches children about food safety and cleanliness.

For example, they can learn about washing their hands and utensils before baking. They will also learn to follow a recipe and be patient while their food is baking.

Get them involved in the grocery shopping process: Let them choose which ingredients to buy, or have them help you measure them out.

Let them help you cook: Even if they are just stirring or adding ingredients in your direction, let them help in the kitchen. It will give them a sense of accomplishment and make baking more fun.

Make it a social activity: Bake with friends or family members. Not only will it be more fun for your child, but they will also learn social skills.

Bake-themed items: Have your child help you make cookies or cupcakes in the shape of their favourite animal, character, or object.

This can add an extra level of fun to baking.

Developing Language Skills over the Holidays (Blank Levels)

Level One (2-3 year olds)

Questions relate to the immediate environment and require concrete thinking. Examples include:

"What is that?"

"What can you see?"

"Find one like this."

"What is — doing?"

"Is it a —?" (yes/no response)

Level Two (3-4 year olds)

Involve some analysis, such as classifying/ grouping objects, and describing and understanding object functions.

"Find something that can …(cut)"

"What is happening in this picture?"

"Where is the…?" (requires a location response, e.g. "under the table", not just pointing

"Find something that is …(red) and …(spiky)"

"How are these different?"

"Which one is … (a fruit)?"

Level Three (4-5 year olds)

Require children to use their own knowledge to make basic predictions, assume the role of another, or make generalizations. Begin to use higher-order thinking skills.

"What will happen next?"

"How do you think he feels?"

"How do I make… (a sandwich)?"

"How are these the same?"

"What is a …?" (definitions)

Level Four (5 years +).

Involve problem-solving, predictions, solutions and explanations. Require own knowledge and thinking about the future and past.

Predicting changes: "What will happen if…?"

Solutions: "What should we do now?"

Causes: "How did that happen?"

Justifying: "Why can't we …eat ice cream with a knife and fork?"

Explanations: "How can we tell he is sad?"

(a) 2 year old:

Talk a lot about what you and your child are doing FIRST, particularly if you are introducing new vocabulary (e.g. rolling, squashing, cookie-cutter, rolling pin). Ask simple questions such as "What's this?", "Is that a star?", "Find me another heart", "What am I doing?"

(b) 3 year old:

Questions as above, but add complexity "What colour is the star?", "what shape did you make?", "Find something I can use to roll",

"why are those two stars different?", "What shape is a window?"

(c) 4 year old:

Questions as above and "We flattened the play-dough, what will we do next?", "What is a rolling pin?", "You squashed the man!

How do you think he feels?", "What should I do next?", "How can I make a snail?"

(d) 4+ year old:

Questions above and "what would happen if we mixed all the red and the blue play-dough together", "Why can't I play with play-dough on the carpet?", "Why do you think it is called a 'cookie-cutter'?", "I made the table messy. What should I do now?", "Why do you think the table got so messy?", "What could I do next time so I don't make such a mess?"

How to simplify questions:

(Note: you can do the opposite to extend questions and challenge language)

1) Make questions more concrete.

Abstract: "How do you think daddy bear felt when the baby bear wouldn't give him a bedtime kiss?"/ Concrete: "Look at daddy bear's face. What is he doing?"

Abstract: "Why did you throw all your books on the floor? What should you do now?" / Concrete: "Where are the books? Where do the books go? Let's put them away."

2) Relate questions to personal experiences.

Simplify a question such as "Why do you think firefighters wear such big heavy coats?" to "What does it feel like when you stand close to a fire?"

"What does mummy say when you don't finish your jobs? What will your teacher say if you don't finish your homework?"

3) Ask questions about very recent events or objects that are present.

Instead of asking, "What do you think you will do at playgroup tomorrow?" ask, "What did you play with today?" or "What are you playing with now?"

4) Use familiar vocabulary when asking questions.

Instead of "What is the function of a knife?" try "What can you do with a knife?"

Offer a choice. "Is this a violin or a guitar?" instead of "What instrument is this?"

5) For older children, keep using those higher-order thinking questions (levels 3 and 4)

Instead of telling your child how to solve a problem, ask questions to help them think through it on their own.